OSHaRE soup kitchen counting on Friday’s fundraising walk

Walkers set out from Owen Sound city hall Friday, April 26, 2019 on a five-kilometre annual walk to raise money for OSHaRE, the city’s soup kitchen, and WaterAid Canada, a charitable group which drills wells in developing countries.

Scott Dunn The Sun Times

At least 70 walkers left city hall Friday afternoon on an annual fundraising walk, which surpassed its goal and succeeded in raising more than half of the city soup kitchen’s annual budget.The Aveda Walk for Food & Water has supported Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort’s soup kitchen in the basement of the Harmony Centre in downtown Owen Sound for three years now.OSHaRE feeds people of limited means who come for a meal and to be with others at mealtime.Last year, about 60 walkers and corporate donors helped raise $69,000, split $42,000 for OSHaRE and $27,000 for WaterAid Canada, a charity that drills wells in developing countries. The walk has taken place in Owen Sound for 11 years.Before all the counting was done, this year’s $75,000 goal was surpassed. Of the $87,000 counted so far, OSHaRE will get $74,000, more than half of the soup kitchen’s $140,000 annual budget.People gathered for speeches and a group photo at city hall. About 4 p.m. walkers headed north on 2nd Avenue East, up the 10th Street East hill to 9th Avenue East and north again to the liquor store and back. City police assisted at intersection crossings.

Walkers in the Aveda Walk for Food & Water head north on 2nd Avenue East on Friday, April 26, 2019 in Owen Sound, Ont. (Scott Dunn/The Sun Times)

“OSHaRE continues to be very busy,” said Colleen Trask Seaman, its executive director and also a founding member. “We last year served 21,000 meals in this community and that was up from the year before.”Exact numbers weren’t available to her as she spoke outside city hall. But weeknights OSHaRE community volunteers serve between 60 to 120 people and on Saturdays and holidays about 40 to 60 people come for bagged meals to go, she said.The organization is looking at expanding its kitchen this year and adding commercial kitchen equipment, including a walk-in cooler for fresh fruits and vegetables, and a walk-in freezer, Trask Seaman said.A reception for the walkers followed at Aveda Mane Street Hair Salon.